2011 8
Waiting for a Superman
So, I was in the UK last week, suffering under a torrent of ridiculous, imbecilic, nauseating news coverage. But enough about the Royal Wedding. Bored, I tried to look across the Atlantic for some entertainment. After all, US news is always good for a laugh (Donald Trump, we salute you!). That’s how I came across some staggering news.
No, not Osama Bin Laden’s death. I am talking of course about Superman’s decision to renounce his US citizenship:
In the pages of Action Comics #900, the Man of Steel decided to put a global focus on his fight against evil. Or something. Predictably, the type of Conservative commentators who take Fox News seriously are reacting with cries of anguish and disgust (and almost asking for Superman’s birth certificate). Check this out:
On the one hand, their concern is understandable. I mean, what if Darkseid or General Zod decide to attack the U.S. What then huh? It could happen..
On the other hand, would it be too much to ask for these people to have READ the bloody issue in question? It’s all about context. There is an (admittedly convoluted and dramatically pointless) reason for Superman’s decision and it has fuck all to do with Socialism or the notorious Liberal Elite. It is actually part of the long recent tradition of DC and Marvel Comics to revive sales by introducing dramatic, earth- shaking events in their plotlines. Plotlines that tend to grab headlines for a while and then disappear as everything goes back to normal. In the last few years we ‘ve had Spiderman joining the Fantastic Four, Captain America being assassinated, Lex Luthor becoming President, all of the Marvel Universe becoming Skrulls and whatever the fuck Darkest Night was supposed to be about.
Hey, somebody has to try and make Superman interesting. The previous movie didn’t do so well and Smallville has been going for so many seasons that Clark Kent looks like he’s in his fifties by now. Think: SUPERMAN RENOUNCES US CITIZENSHIP!? It’s PR genius. You can imagine DC executives rubbing their hands with glee. Hell, it’s even catchier than their BATWOMAN IS A LESBIAN thingy from a while back!
This is why I mostly read Dark Horse comics these days.
Concerned patriots should cheer up though. Batman is still around. I mean, he died, then he didn’t and then he went back in time and then he came back. But he’s here now and he’s still a US citizen. Everything is going to be OK.
(-Dimitris Kontogiannis-)
About the Author: CnB
on “Waiting for a Superman”